My thoughts on my running and fitness

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Last run of 2013 and first of 2014 YCGTD!

So for the last run of 2013, I convinced my daughter to join me for a long run. On the 25th we saddled up and headed out for a run I call the “loop”. It is about 8 km and mostly flat with a couple of little hills and two that are really pretty challenging. It was cold out too. I outfitted my daughter in my old cycling and running gear so she would have some long sleeves and earmuffs. We both wore shorts since she did not have any tights. We left the gloves in the house and headed out.
The run starts out with some slight downhill and it was also mostly in the shade so we started out cold. We kept up a good pace, I told her that I would run at her pace and continued for about 2.5~3 km before we caught a light and had to stop. My daughter mentioned that was probably the longest she had run non-stop in a long time. Little did she know we were not even 3/4 complete!
From the stoplight the run flattens out and we jogged and walked until the halfway mark at the convenience store. We hustled across the street and into some sunshine and we walked again for a bit. It was good to talk. We talked about the future, running, music, books, life lessons and more on running. I told her we could run and walk up to the first big hill, but I always run the hills. No excuses. She was game.
For the first hill no problem. She came through like a trooper. Then we walked for a bit in order to get ready for the second hill, which is just a warm-up for the big one.
On this hill I taught her about my chant. Still to this day, I will chant “We are the Spartans, mighty, mighty Spartans, everywhere we go-oh, people want to know-oh, who we are so we tell ’em….” I sometimes alternate Navy for Spartans, depending on the season and how I am feeling. She kept up with my Spartans one.
At some point I shared with her my story about my first marathon and how I almost quit at about mile 23. I didn’t and that is because of a fellow runner who passed me chanting “FIGHT”. I still use that one too. It worked then and still works to this day.
For the final hill, we prepped by taking a short walk and then we hit it. No surrender, we had to make it without breaking. We were both in full-chant mode and I could tell she was feeling it. I know I was. I don’t know about her, but I was cold. Seriously cold. Should have taken the gloves and found the tights to wear….note to self!
We approached the summit and passed the mirror where I always jump up and take a look at myself. Looking good! Then it was a short downhill and one more short uphill before we were home. I hit the shower, and was shot for a couple days.
Since then my daughter has been out for her first run on New Years Day. I was too tired…….so today on the 2nd I took mine. Now I am trying to set up a schedule where I can at least have a steady run schedule with all of my other endeavors, and since I have not established the need for an actual race/event, I am simply trying to get in three “quality” runs a week (7 day period). Today was my first. I ran inside using our stairs. Six flights of stairs, I was aiming for six reps (down and up) but actually made it to seven. Each run up was within 30-34 seconds. I would have tried for another, but age brings wisdom and I knew it was time to stop. My next run should be on Saturday or early Sunday. I am hoping that the weather will be nice and I will take on the “loop” again. This time I will be wearing my gloves!